The present invention relates to novel N-substituted tetrahydrophthalimides and herbicidal compositions thereof.
N-substituted aryl-.DELTA.'-tetrahydrophthalimide derivatives having herbicidal activity have been reported.
For example, Japanese Examined Patent Publication No. 11940/1973 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,224 and U.S. Pat. No. 3,984,435 and West German Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2,165,651) discloses N-substituted-.DELTA.'-tetrahydrophthalimide which is represented by the general formula ##STR1## wherein R may be an aryl, aralkyl or benzyl optionally substituted with 1 to 5 halogen atoms; hydroxy, alkoxy, nitro, cyano, thiocyano, carboxy, halogenated alkyl, alkyl, phenyl and OCH.sub.2 A (where A is phenyl or naphthyl) group and the like may also be substituted therein. N-(4-chloro-3-methoxyphenyl)-.DELTA.'-tetrahydrophthalimide and N-(4-bromo-3-methoxyphenyl)-.DELTA.'-tetrahydrophthalimide are described as the exemplified compounds having the formula wherein R is a halogen- and alkoxy-substituted phenyl group.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,272 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,032,326 disclose herbicidal 2-substituted aryl-4,5,6,7-tetrahydro-2H-isoindole-1,3-diones of the following formula ##STR2## wherein X is Cl, Br or F and Y is H or F.
The inventors have studied novel tetrahydrophthalimides as an active ingredient of a herbicidal composition and have found that the specific novel N-aryl-3,4,5,6-tetrahydrophthalimides have excellent herbicidal effect.